What Good is Magic?
by Evident-Rust
Summary: When tragedy strikes how do you heal? Rated T for language and overall just in case. One shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place. **

**A/N: Thanks for reading my story! It's just a one shot. I hope you like it. Reviews make me happy! **

**What Good is Magic?**

"We can try again," her husband said softly as he stroked her long dark hair, "this doesn't mean that it will never happen for us. It's just another," he paused, "obstacle for us to overcome." Alex Russo-Williams loved her husband dearly, he was her best friend, but sometimes his words came out wrong. Logan's heart was in the right place, but he couldn't understand what she was feeling. A miscarriage wasn't an obstacle to overcome; it was one of the most devastating events a woman can go through. Surrounded by the familiar sights of her childhood bedroom, Alex barely heard her husband as he spoke to her. They had left the hospital a couple hours previous, but she couldn't bare the thought of going to their apartment just yet. It was filled with too many reminders. The bed sheets would still be stained with the blood that had alerted her to the danger. Just the sight of it made Alex's heart break. She knew what was happening to her baby, but was powerless to stop it. Not even her or Logan's wizard powers could help. Together they took the long ride to the hospital. The couple knew, deep down, that there was very little hope of saving the pregnancy. The main concern of the hospital staff would be to take care of Alex. Throughout the event Alex remained calm. She answered all the questions. She and Logan provided as much family medical history that they could. She assured the doctor that she didn't drink or smoke.

She and Logan had been trying to conceive for a little over two years, and Alex made sure that she did everything by the book. She avoided alcohol, stayed clear of any second hand smoke, she didn't eat fish, and she made sure to exercise moderately. She was the picture of perfect health, yet it still wasn't enough. Alex felt like such a failure. The one thing that she was supposed to be naturally good at, protecting her unborn child, was the one thing she couldn't seem to do. No, she couldn't return to their apartment where the sonogram picture was still magnetized to the refrigerator, where the pale yellow yarn she was going to use for a baby blanket still rested beside the couch. She couldn't walk past the office and not think about the nursery it would have become. Instead she asked Logan to take her to her parents' home at Waverly Place. Jerry and Theresa Russo were there waiting to welcome and comfort their daughter which Alex accepted for all of five minutes before asking if it would be okay if she went to rest up in her old bedroom.

Now, lying on her old bed, in the room with the wall still covered with pink fur, she wished for her childhood, for a simpler time when she truly felt as though she could do anything. A time when her magic not only got her into trouble, but also out of it. Logan sat beside her, rubbing her arm and stroking her hair as she rested.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked softly, his hand stalling on her arm as he waited for a response. Alex only gave a weak shrug. The room grew silent as husband and wife become lost in their own thoughts. Logan was first to break the spell of silence. He lowered himself onto the floor so he could be eye to eye with Alex who hadn't moved from her position on her side.

"Honey," he began, pushing the dark strands of hair away from her face, "I'm going to go back to the apartment and get us some clothes for tomorrow and," he paused as he struggled to find the words, "and clean up a little, okay?" He searched Alex's face, though he wasn't sure what it was he was looking for. Alex could see her husband before her, his usually handsome face etched with worry and exhaustion. She noticed that strands of his long sandy blonde hair had escaped from its pony tail and now hung lifelessly against his face. She reached out to him and tucked some of it behind his ear, a familiar habit. He gave her a weak, sad smile before leaning in to place a kiss to her forehead. Logan pulled back and raked his hand down his face. Alex noticed dark circles beneath her husband's eyes. She was saddened to see that the dark shadows had turned his eyes from their normal, brilliant blue to the color of the ocean after a storm. A storm that had ripped their hearts apart. Now they had to somehow put the pieces back together.

"Will you be okay here? I won't be gone long, I promise," Logan said. Alex merely nodded. Logan stood and headed out of the room. On his way downstairs he thought about the concern he felt for his wife. He knew that she was devastated, so was he. They had been trying for a child for so long and they had been so happy when they got the news that they were expecting. Now, in a moment, everything had been torn away from them, yet Alex was so calm. From the moment she told him what was happening, to the time they walked through his in-laws' door she remained stoic. He worried about leaving her alone. What if she finally broke down and he wasn't there?

Logan descended the stairs and found Justin and Max sitting with Jerry at the table. Enchiladas, salsa, guacamole, bowls of tortilla chips, spaghetti with meatballs, and sides of garlic bread covered the table top. Justin and Max got to their feet when they saw Logan.

"Hey man," Max said, extending his hand to his brother-in-law.

"Hey Max," Logan replied, shaking his hand, "you guys didn't have to come all the way over." He then offered his hand to Justin who was standing beside Max.

"We wanted to," Justin said, "you're family. We want to be here for you guys."

"And mom made all this food," Max gestured to the table in an attempt to lighten the mood a little. Logan gave a half hearted smile. It was true, Theresa did go overboard, but he knew that he would appreciate it later when his stomach finally demanded food. He was going to have to try and get Alex to eat something as well. It was important that she keep her strength.

"I'm just keeping my hands busy," Theresa said as she put out a tray of quesadillas in front of Jerry, who readily put one onto his plate. Theresa cooked when she was stressed and Jerry ate.

"Well, I appreciate it, Theresa, thank you," Logan said and gave his mother-in-law as much of a smile as he could muster, "listen, I'm going to head back to our place to pick up a few things. Alex is upstairs resting, so if someone could just check on her every once in awhile…" his voice trailed off as he made is way to the door.

"Do you want us to go get whatever you need?" Justin asked, reaching for his jacket. For a moment Logan was tempted, he wanted nothing more than to be with Alex, but when he thought of the sheets he knew that it was better if he went alone.

"No, it's okay. I have a list of things to grab, and it would take too long for me to explain which tooth brush Alex uses on Saturdays and which pajamas she says make her butt look big. I'll just run over and grab them myself," Logan replied, "I'll be back in a bit, but just check on Alex for me, please?" With that he walked out the door.

After Logan's departure the Russo's took on a heavy silence. Justin stood leaning his hand against the chair back as Max shuffled his feet at the foot of the stairs. They exchanged a look and with it an unspoken agreement to go upstairs and see their sister. As they climbed the stairs with Max in the lead, they were each in their own thoughts. This trauma was unknown territory in the family. Both Justin and Max were blessed with happy and healthy families, it had never factored into anyone's mind that Alex and Logan would have any trouble starting a family of their own.

When they reached Alex's door, Max gave a tentative knock before opening it to see if she was awake. He saw Alex sitting up on her bed, flipping through an old book.

"Hey," he said as both he and Justin stepped into the room.

"Hi," Alex replied, looking up briefly to acknowledge their presence before looking back at the book and flipping the pages.

"How are you feeling?" Justin asked, not really knowing what to say. Do you ask about her health? Do you apologize? Do tell her that it's all going to be alright?

"How would you feel if your world just ended?" Alex asked her voice cold. Max didn't miss a beat.

"Pretty shitty," he replied as he leaned against the wall.

"Understatement of the century," she muttered.

"But your world hasn't ended, Alex. You can't give up hope," Justin added.

"Hope? I'm sorry if I can't see the brighter side of this situation," Alex snapped at Justin, "you and Allie didn't have to deal with this! You had your charts and your calendars. You predicted the exact day you conceived both Abby and Harrison," she said with an edge to her voice.

"It was just basic biology," Justin mumbled softly as he stared at the carpet beneath his feet.

"Basic biology? Well, I was never good at that in school so it figures that I would fail it in life, too."

"Don't say that, Alex. You didn't fail at anything. It was just," Justin paused, "it was just rotten luck." His choice of words was really no better than Logan's.

"I shouldn't need luck!" Alex snapped, "I'm a damn wizard! Logan's a wizard! We should have perfect wizard children!" Her hands tightly gripped the book she held as her eyes flashed. Max shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and looked over at Justin. Both brothers at a loss for what to say.

"I'm a wizard, but I can't have a baby," Alex said, her voice so soft it barely broke the silence. "Did you know that there are no fertility spells in the wizard books?" She held up the book she was reading to show them that it was an old spell book.

"Magic doesn't work like that," Justin replied, not knowing what else to say.

"A lot of fucking good magic is!" With that she threw the book across the room. Justin cringed as it slammed against the wall and collapsed to floor with a thud. Alex slunk down from the headboard and rolled onto her side, away from her brothers. After a moment Max pushed away from the wall and circled around the bed to see her face. Her eyes were open, but dead. Alex was just staring into the distance, but seeing nothing.

"Alex, I know it seems like this is the end for you, but it can't be," he said as he knelt beside the bed, "when it's meant to happen, it will," he added.

"Easy for you to say, Max. You just look at Harper and she gets pregnant," Alex exaggerated, "isn't number five on the way?" Max didn't reply. He and Harper were very lucky when it came to having children. Alex's words were true; they were expecting their fifth child in a matter of months. Alex wasn't done with him yet.

"And to top it off, Harper's so good at this fertility thing that she gave you two at once." Alex muttered. She was speaking of Max and Harper's two year old twins Reagan and Sawyer. A silence fell over the room then. It wasn't an awkward or angry silence, but it was sad. It was pretty obvious that anything Justin or Max said wouldn't be the right thing to say. Both wanted to help their sister, but neither could make such a tragic situation okay. Nothing but time could truly help Alex heal. In the silence Max was the first to move. He lifted himself from his kneeling position and climbed onto Alex's bed and laid down facing her. Justin understood almost immediately what Max was doing and he followed suit. He closed the distance between himself and the bed and very gently rested on his side behind Alex. It was then, cocooned by the love and support of her brothers, that the dam that was holding back the flood cracked and finally broke. All the pain rushed forward as Alex's tears flowed freely and her body shuddered with heartbreak.

4


End file.
